The focus of this month's action is tobacco & sports, a topic
that, judging from many of your recent emails, seems to be a rampant problem
worldwide -- and one that former tennis star and Philip Morris Board of
Director member Billie Jean King symbolizes all too well. The tobacco
industry loves to associate itself with sports because they are a cheap
way to reach large, young audiences; skirt tobacco advertising bans; and
project an image of health and vitality onto their deadly products.

The purpose of this month's action is to systematically gather information
about Big Tobacco's sponsorship of sports around the world and to launch
a range of local/international campaigns to kick the industry out of a
game in which it obviously does not belong. Thanks to the Association
for Non-Smokers Rights of Minnesota, the results of this month's action
will be shared with thousands of youth from the U.S. and around the world
at the Schwan's USA Cup July 15-21. The "tobacco-free" event
is sponsored, in part, by ANSR's Tobacco-Free
Youth Recreation program.

Please find below: 1) A list of information and materials to collect.
2) Follow up action ideas for you and your partner, including some specific
ways you can help us prepare for the Schwan's USA Cup. In a moment we
will send you another email with additional background information.

BACKGROUND

The tobacco industry has a knack for silencing the very segments of society
that represent the greatest threat to its business. By donating money
to fire departments, women's organizations, civil liberty groups, and
minority communities, the industry has sought to avert attention from
issues to which it is most vulnerable. As we say in the U.S., "a
dog does not bite the hand that feeds it." The industry is also an
international expert in projecting the exact opposite of reality in its
advertising (Newport: "Alive with Pleasure," Virginia Slims:
"Find Your Voice"). The industry's long quest to associate itself
with anything and everything athletic is part of its general strategy
to co-opt the opposition and counteract public awareness of the health
hazards of smoking.

The tobacco industry loves to sponsor sports. For a minimal financial
contribution, a tobacco company can gain extensive television coverage,
often in countries where such advertising is banned; a huge youth audience;
and great public relations. From the Winston Cup to the Virginia Slims
tennis tournament, Big Tobacco has infiltrated many of the most popular
sports in the world. Car racing, tennis, cricket, soccer, you name it,
they've got it covered. In many countries, Philip Morris and BAT exercise
a total monopoly on sports sponsorship. Some examples of tobacco and sports'
inbreeding around the world:

In Uganda, BAT promotes its "Sportsman" brand with
a "Beat the Odds" campaign: "Buy 4 sticks of Sportsman
cigarettes to qualify for an entry form ... or a pack to quality for
5 entry forms." Promotional prizes include: cash, bikes, wall clocks,
polo shirts, and umbrellas. Sportsman's logo is a white polo player.
(source: Philip Karugaba)

In Sri Lanka, one of the Ceylon Tobacco Company (owned by BAT)
board members was just appointed to chair the interim board of the Sri
Lankan Cricket. The new chairman recently held his first press briefing
at which he carried two packs of cigarettes and lit a cigarette. Prior
to this, smoking was not allowed in the [Sri Lankan Cricket headquarters]
building. (source: Pamodinee Wijayanayake)

In Papua New Guinea, the tobacco monopoly pledged $30,000 for
the Cambridge Cup (the regional rugby football championships) in 2001,
and $15,000 for the BAT Papua New Guinea Golfing Classic also in 2001.
They also support sundry other sports and sporting teams, notably basketball,
football. Several provincial/urban football teams are sponsored directly
by the tobacco monopoly, ... and provided equipment/uniforms that bear
the cigarette brand name. (source: Colin Richardson)

Perhaps most outrageous is the U.S. tobacco industry's sponsorship of
U.S. athletes abroad. Marlboro and Salem sponsor U.S. tennis start Michael
Chang in Asia.
See "Michael
Chang's smoky image abroad" (Asia Week)

The resulting alliances between tobacco and sports interests serve the
industry well. Once they are dependent on tobacco industry funding, many
sports associations balk when legislators try to pass comprehensive advertising
bans.

In order to paint a comprehensive picture of the tobacco industry's sponsorship
of sports around the world (especially soccer/football), we need you and
your partner to collect, share, and compare the following information
and items, as available:

List sports that are sponsored by tobacco companies in your respective
communities and countries. Indicate sponsoring company or brand. With
what age group are these sports most popular? How does the company advertise
its sponsorship of the sport? Does this practice break any laws? Take
photos of tobacco company advertisements at and for sports events.

List cigarette brands with names or logos that reflect sports-related
themes. Take photos of advertising and promotional items for the brand.

If possible, collect information on how much money tobacco companies
spend to sponsor various sports events.

Collect examples of any and all cases of tobacco industry influence
over sports institutions, e.g. a partnership between Philip Morris and
a Ministry of Youth and Sports.

List the names of popular athletes, particularly U.S. and U.K. ones,
that are frequently sponsored by tobacco companies in your country.
Collect examples of promotional items that bear the athlete's name and/or
image. Indicate sponsoring tobacco company and/or brand.

Essential Action recommends that you and your partner write up a mini-report
of your findings to share with us and the media. Essential Action can
assist you in generating media coverage.

SUGGESTED FOLLOW UP ACTIONS

Once you have collected the above information and items, you and your
partner can develop an action campaign. If appropriate, Essential Action
can help you mobilize other GPTC partnerships to support you. Here are
some ideas. Feel free to come up with additional ones of your own.

1) Launch an international letter-writing or petition campaign targeting
a particular sports association and/or athlete, demanding that they to
cut their ties to the tobacco industry immediately. The campaign could
be supported by protests at tobacco industry-sponsored sports events or
outside the athlete's office or home. Such activities are useful in putting
a face on the industry. Public shaming is an effective negative public
relations strategy.

2) Meet with local sports associations and urge them to go "tobacco-free,"
e.g. publicly ban the possession, sale, use, and advertising of tobacco
products at sports events. For more information on developing tobacco-free
policies and tobacco-free zones, check out ANSR's Tobacco-Free Youth Recreation
site at http://www.ansrmn.org/tfyr1.htm

3) Recruit and publicize the names of sports associations and athletes
that agree to reject industry offers of sponsorship and to actively promote
tobacco control at sports events.

4) Assist Essential Action and the ANSR in preparing for the Schwan's
USA Cup in July (and for upcoming events that may arise) by: